Why PM Modi Asked Other States To Follow Punjab's Model To Fight Covid-19? Here's All You Need To Know

On Tuesday, PM Narendra Modi held a meeting with state chief ministers to discuss the Covid-19 situation in the country and the containment strategy being adopted.

Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh (Left) and PM Narendra Modi (Right)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his virtual meeting with Chief Ministers on Tuesday, lauded Punjab's Covid-19 containment strategy and asked other states to follow it as a model. ALSO READ | Fight Against Covid-19 A Fine Example Of Cooperative Federalism: PM Modi Tells CMs In Video Meet Punjab government had focused on the micro-containment of coronavirus cases and initiated a house-to-house surveillance strategy, which helped the state to contain the Covid-19 spread to a great extent. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was elaborating the state's plan so far with respect to handling the crisis when PM Modi suggested all states and union territories to adopt that strategic approach in battling the pandemic. Punjab CM suggested the PM that a group should be formed wherein some state chief ministers can directly have discussions with officials in Centre and come up with strategies that can help in tackling the economic challenged the country is facing. He emphasised on the importance of both Central and state governments to work in close coordination. Punjab has 3,140 cases at present and its contribution to the cases nationally is less than one percent, with a mortality rate of 2.1 per cent and a recovery rate of 75 per cent. Despite being in a promising direction, Capt Amarinder Singh informed that the curve of cases was rising after travellers from other parts came in the state and then people started meeting after restrictions were eased. He has stressed on conducting more tests even though Punjab is currently having 5,527 tests per million which is higher than the all India average of 4,088. The CM has requested the Prime Minister to direct Central institutions in Chandigarh and Punjab to increase testing capacity. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister was chairing a meeting with state chief ministers to discuss the Covid-19 situation in different parts of the country, via video conferencing. Attendees included Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. The meeting will be held again on Wednesday and more discussions over the problems and strategies will take place.